Minister forced to ‘dice with the law’

AS Windhoekers dashed to Inland Revenue offices throughout most of yesterday to meet the deadline to submit their tax returns, Minister of Higher Education, Training and Employment Creation Nahas Angula expressed unhappiness in the National Assembly that he could not do the same.

Contributing to debate on amendments to the Value-Added Tax Act (VAT), Angula said the Finance Ministry had forced him to be on the wrong side of the law. “As I stand here, I’m about to break the law,” he told the House, “It is not a good thing to be found on the other side of law.”The Minister claimed that he had not yet received his Pay-As-You-Earn form, a requisite attachment to individuals’ tax submissions.The printing and issuing of such forms for Ministers, he said, was the responsibility of the Finance Ministry.”Is the Ministry of Finance helping us to break laws? I’m caught between a rock and a hard place,” he told an amused House.Finance Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila retorted that Angula was raising the issue out of context, as the debate at hand was on VAT and not individual taxation.But Angula maintained that “taxes were taxes”.”As I stand here, I’m about to break the law,” he told the House, “It is not a good thing to be found on the other side of law.”The Minister claimed that he had not yet received his Pay-As-You-Earn form, a requisite attachment to individuals’ tax submissions.The printing and issuing of such forms for Ministers, he said, was the responsibility of the Finance Ministry.”Is the Ministry of Finance helping us to break laws? I’m caught between a rock and a hard place,” he told an amused House.Finance Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila retorted that Angula was raising the issue out of context, as the debate at hand was on VAT and not individual taxation.But Angula maintained that “taxes were taxes”.